The Best Racing Game Ever is Mario Kart Double Dash

Coming in with a photo finish as the best racing game ever is Mario Kart Double Dash! This 2003 modern classic was one of the very best reasons to buy a GameCube. With quirky, innovative tracks like DK Mountain and the Daisy Cruiser cruise ship, Double Dash stood out in the Mario Kart library as truly original.

For the first time, Double Dash players were able to control teams of racers ranging from Nintendo heroes like Mario and Yoshi, to angry antagonists like Bowser and Wario. Teams switched up the Mario Kart routine, making players carefully calculate who to put behind the wheel. Riding on the back of the kart, the other teammate was left to gather items and even store them for later once back in the driver’s seat. This changed the overall strategy of gameplay greatly, especially as each character could acquire special items along the way.

Other notable features were an enhanced powerslide and the ability to steal items. Specials ranged from a protective circling heart to the biggest banana peel this side of the Amazon, and standard items included mushrooms, lightning, and one pesky blue shell. The cast featured 20 characters—perfectly sized for LAN play using the Nintendo GameCube Broadband Adapter.

While Double Dash may seem like child’s play when stacked up against serious racing games like Gran Turismo, in its time both critics and fans praised the graphics and gameplay as ultimately unique. Selling roughly 5 million copies worldwide, this is one racing adventure that won the gold.